Trump's Military Move: A Trillion-Dollar Deportation Plan

President-elect Donald Trump plans to utilize the U.S. military to assist in mass deportations of immigrants, despite legal restrictions. The effort could cost up to a trillion dollars over a decade. Trump seeks to declare a national emergency to access further resources for this initiative.

President-elect Donald Trump is planning to deploy the U.S. military in support of his mass deportation initiative, despite the legal constraints on such actions. In an interview with TIME magazine, Trump described illegal immigration as an 'invasion', signaling his intent to use military troops to expel unprecedented numbers of undocumented immigrants.

Historically, both Republican and Democratic administrations have deployed National Guard troops to assist U.S. Border Patrol operations. However, they have not been tasked with making immigration arrests. According to Trump's appointed border czar Tom Homan, the military will aid transportation, infrastructure, and intelligence but will not conduct arrests, which remain the purview of sworn immigration officers.

The ambitious plan includes the potential construction of new detention facilities to expedite deportations, avoiding protracted detainment in temporary camps. Though the plan's financial cost is estimated to reach nearly a trillion dollars over a decade, Trump remains resolute in targeting all undocumented immigrants during his term, affecting millions of families and numerous industries, particularly agriculture.

(With inputs from agencies.)